Transformable knob and thumb-latch lock.



W. A. RUSSELL. TEANSFORMABLE KNOB AND THUMB LATCH LOOK.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

PATENT rrion.

WVILLIAM A. RUSSELL, OF LOS ANGEL-ES, CALIFORNIA.

TRANSFORMABLE KNOB AND THUMB-LATCH LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed November 20, 1907. Serial No. 403,082.

To. all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM ALLnN Ros- SELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Transformable Knob and Thumb-Latch Look, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement whereby locks of the ordinary knob construction are made operable by thumb-pieces in the nature of latch-locks, and whereby a lock may be made to comprise interchangeable parts some of which may be used at one time and some at another time. for installation at will of either a knob lock or a thumb latch look without alteration of the inside mechanism of the lock.

This invention comprises an attachment whereby cylinder-knob-locks may be fitted with thumb-pieces for operating the latch, said attachment being adapted for providing the door with a thumbpiece and handle on both sides of the door, if so desired, or on one side only of the door, when it is desired to fit the other side with a knob lock, as is sometimes the case where it is wished to fit the outside of the door with a thumb-piece and handle, and the inside of the door with a knob to correspond to the trimmings of other doors inside the house.

An objectof the invention is to enable the manufacturer and dealer to provide for any given lock construction interchangeable knobs and thumb-pieces with appropriate trimmings so as to supply the demand for either style of. look by furnishing a single style of lock case and contained mechanism together with knobs and thumb-pieces without being put to the expense and inconvenience of carrying separate lock cases with mechanism and equipments therefor, for each style of lock.

Another object is to do away with the necessity of providing right and left thumbpieces for right and left opening doors.

Other objects are cheapness, simplicity, ease of operation, and convenience of mounting the lock in the door.

An object of the invention is to provide a latch lock which can-be appliedto a door with as little work as a knob lock.

This invention includes the lock, and the combinations and parts hereinafter more particularly described.

I regard this invention pioneer and do not limit myself to the specific construction shown.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in the form I at present deem most advisable.

Figure 1 is a fragmental view partially in section showing a lock embodying this invention applied to a left hand door as a thumb-latch lock. Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional view of the same look viewed from the right in Fig. 1, but applied to a right hand door. In these views the usual knobs of the knob lock are omitted as they are readily understood in the art and need not be illustrated in order to show the method of attachment when it is desired to employ the lock as a knob-lock. Both thumb-pieces of the lock are shown in operative position. Fig. 3 is a view of the back of the attachment by which connection is made between the hub of the lock in Figs. 1 and 2, and the thumb-pieces therein shown. edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a view of blanks from which parts shown in Figs. 8 and 4 may be struck up. Fig. 6 is a view of another form of attachment. Fig. 7 is a section on line 00 w Fig. 6, looking left.

1 designates a lock structure of the ordinary knob-lock type, provided with the operative parts usual in such a lock and having a cylinder operable by a key; said parts being contained in the usual manner within a case 2 of the usual form. 3 designates the usual hub of the lock in which the knob spindle, not shown, common in looks, is to be inserted when the lock is to be employed as a knob-lock. Said means may be variously mainly on the outside of the lock case and extending into the hub of the lock and adapted to be operated by one or more thumbpieces as the levers 4 and 5 for partially rotating the hub of the lock to withdraw the latch 6 in the same manner, as such latch is withdrawn by use of the ordinary knob, not shown, when the latch is installed as a knob-lock. Said means may be variously constructed and in the form I deem at present most desirable, 7 "designates an element provided with a part 8 to fit the angular Fig. 4. is antransmitted from the thumb-piece to the rotary member'and thence to the hub and to the 'latch of the lock for withdrawing the same. The part of said element 7 which engages the hub of the lock may be variously constructed and the same consists of a projection which is appropriately angular to engage the angular opening in the hub, and may be of multiplex or unitary construction. In Figs. 3 and et, the projection is duplex, being formed of two wings a, b, stamped from the body of the element 7 which in that instance is a sheet metal disk. The member 9 may also be stamped from sheet metal, portions of which may be bent as indicated at 11, 12, to increase the width of the bearing at the points of contact with the thumb-pieces 4 and 5. A notch 13 is preferably provided in the lower end of the member 9 to receive the inner ends of the thumb-pieces and said thumb-pieces are arranged side by side as indicated in Fig. 1 and are operable independently of each other from opposite sides of the door, being pivoted to the escutcheons 1 1, 15, by pivots 16 and 17, respectively.

18 designates the handles of the door 19, below the thumb-pieces 4 and 5. In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the part that engages the hub of the latch is solid, as shown at 8. V

In Fig. 5 dotted lines indicate the lines along which the metal will be bent in stamping the element 7 and the member 9 from their appropriate blanks.

The bearing shown at 11 against which the thumb-pieces 3 and 4 contact to operate the member 9, is preferably semicircular in form in order to allow a degree of locking motion with minimum friction.

In practice all that is necessary in order to fit for use as thumb latch locks any cylinder-knob-lock now installed in a door or carried in stock on the shelves of the dealer or in the factories, or held ready for use, is simply to provide the attachment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or Figs. 6 and 7, comprising the element 7 or 7 and the member 9 pivs oted thereto and to provide in addition thereto the necessary thumb-pieces, handles, and escutcheons, as suggested in Fig. 2. Therefore, the attachments may be manufactured and sold separately from the locks and independently of any consultation with or consent of the manufacturer of the particular lock structure to which they are to be applied.

therewith of thumb-pieces so positioned that they may be operated to move the member 9 against the force of gravity to draw the latch bolt 6.

. In case it is desired to fit a door with thumb-pieces on both sides, it is unnecessary to bore any hole for knob-spindles.

In case it is at any time desirable to use cheap mortise locks on doors with the ornamental eifect of latch-locks, this may be done by omitting the bore for the key-hole and dispensing with the use of a key. However, if desired, such bore may beused at the upper edge of the escutcheon.

In installing the lock the element 7 will be simply applied to the outside of the case and remains mainly outside the same, and the mortise 20 in the door may be recessed, or made wide enough to accommodate the case with the attachment thus applied, and the material of the door will thus'serve to hold the attachment in place. It thus becomes unnecessary for the workman'to open the case of the lock, in order to apply the attachment; and ,when the lock installed the attachment, as well as the lock-case, is housed within the door.

I claim 1. A look comprising lockmechanism, in-

cluding a'latch and a hub for operating the latch, a case for said mechanism and hub, and an attachment mainly outside said-case and adapted to be operated by a thumbpiece and to partially rotate the hub.

2. An attachment for locks comprising an element provided with a part to engage the hub of the lock, and a member pivoted to said element to operate the same.

3. A lock comprising a latch, rotary means to operate the latch, an element to engage said means, a member pivoted to said element eccentrically thereof, one or more escutcheons and one or more thumb-pieces pivoted therein and adapted to engage said member to rotate said element.

4. An attachment to rotate the hub of a lock the same comprising an element hav ing a part to engage such hub, and a member pivotally connected with said element and provided with a recess at itslower end one or more thumb-pieces, the upper mar- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set gin of said recess being curved. my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 6. An attachment for looks, comprising a 13th day of November, 1907.

sheet metal element, having a Wing stamped WV. A. RUSSELL.

therefrom to form an arbor, and a member In presence of pivoted to said element and adapted to be JAMES R. TOWNSEND, operated by the thumb-piece. JULIA TOWNSEND.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 903,111, granted November 3, 1908', upon the application of William A. Russell, of Los Angeles, California, for an improvement in Transformable Knob and Thumb-Latch Locks, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: Page 1, line 94, the clause Said means may be variously should read I employ means arranged; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of December, A. 1)., 1908.

o. o. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] 

